Heartbreak
by Lingua Dii
Summary: Rated T for language.
1. Beginning

Most of this story is based on real events that happened to me and my (now ex) boyfriend, mixed together with a story he wrote for me (based on how we met), as well as my own imagination and the show itself (obviously). Many events were removed due to their personal nature, and locations were changed for anonymity's sake.  
>Just to keep you guysgirls in the loop and avoid any confusion: Mike is me in the story (not one of the Goth Kids), whereas Kenny represents my ex-boyfriend.

* * *

><p>It was a dark and stormy night when Mike and Kenny met. Rain was pouring from the sky, clearing the streets of South Park of many of its citizens. Mike stared out at the rain. He had gone out to the grocery store just before the rain started to fall, and found himself in a bind. Should he run home, even though the rain was coming down in sheets? Or should he wait it out? Both options had drawbacks: the former, because he had nothing to cover either himself or the groceries with; the latter, because he had no idea when the weather would clear up.<p>

"_I knew we shouldn't have moved here._" Mike thought.

After waiting around for about half an hour, it didn't look like the rain would stop any time soon. So, without any real alternative available, Mike decided to tough it out and run home.

"_Fucking rain..._"

On his way home, Mike crossed paths with a boy, no older than he was, dressed in an orange parka, dragging himself aimlessly through the street. He had an open beer can in one hand, as well as several more in the other, inside a bag. Although the rain made it hard to tell, Mike could see that he was crying. Usually, he'd just go about his business and leave the stranger alone, but something inside him told him to do otherwise. He decided to go with his gut and carefully approached the strange boy.

"H-Hello?"

The boy in the orange parka turned to Mike, who immediately recognized him as Kenny, a boy at the school they both went to.

"Hey." Kenny simply said, apparently unaffected by the weather and Mike's greeting.  
>"Y-You're Kenny McCormick, right?"<p>

Mike was nervous, approaching a stranger like this; something Kenny noticed. However, he was too depressed to care.

"Yeah. And you are...?" Kenny replied as he wiped away his tears.  
>"My name's Mike Davis."<p>

Mike was hesitant to ask the big question on his mind, but, after a while, he decided to risk it and ask it anyway.

"Why are you crying?"  
>"...You wouldn't understand."<p>

The rain was completely soaking Mike's clothes. He had run out of time to find out why Kenny was so sad. Instead, Mike decided to move the conversation to his house.

"Listen, I can't stand here much longer with this rain. Why don't you come over to my house, where we can talk?"

Kenny's first instinct was to say no, yet he decided to go along with Mike's offer, since, among other reasons, he had nothing better to do.

"...Sure. Why not?"

Mike was surprised by Kenny's response, but he wasn't about to let the opportunity to make a new friend pass by.

"Uh... Great! Let's just hurry up before the weather gets even worse."

Mike led Kenny to his home, albeit more slowly than he had previously led Kenny to believe. Due to the clouds and heavy rain, it was almost pitch-black in the small town of South Park, even with all the street lamps scattered around on the sidewalk. Kenny being somewhat drunk didn't help either. Every so often he'd trip over himself, and Mike would help him back onto his feet.

* * *

><p>When the boys finally reached Mike's house, they were greeted by his mother. She looked at the beers Kenny had in either hand and took a deep breath, trying her best not to mention it to the boys. She didn't want her son around what she perceived as bad influences, yet she tried to respect his independence.<p>

"Michael, who's your friend?"  
>"This is Kenny, from school. I... found him on the way back here."<br>"Hey, Mrs. Davis."  
>"Good to meet you, Kenny."<br>"I'm gonna go upstairs to my room with Kenny, OK, mom?"  
>"Sure. Thank you for getting these groceries; I'll put them away."<p>

Kenny followed Mike into his room. As soon as the door was opened, Kenny scouted the room. He looked at the opposing wall and saw a large bed. The second thing he noticed was that the room was somewhat messy, though nowhere as messy as Kenny's own. There were various papers scattered on the large desk, as well as some binoculars, a miniature model of the human skeleton and a pair of walkie-talkies. Next to the desk there was a dresser with some models of human parts, such as a heart, an eye and a skull, as well as some toys and a safe.

"Wow." Kenny said. "You sure have a lot of stuff."  
>"Yeah; my mom bought it for me over the years, and I kept most of it."<br>"Um... Look, I hope you don't mind, but I really gotta take off these clothes before I catch a cold."  
>"Sure. I gotta take off my parka too."<p>

Mike took off his soaked shirt and turned on the heater he had next to his desk, whereas Kenny took off his parka and remained with his shirt on. Mike had never seen Kenny without his parka, so he was somewhat excited to do so for the first time. Kenny slowly unzipped his parka, making Mike's heart pound with excitement. Once Kenny finally took it off and turned around to face Mike, the latter's heart skipped a beat. Mike had always had a thing for blonds with blue eyes, so having a half-naked one in his room was highly exhilarating.

"_He's... so fucking gorgeous!_" Mike thought.

The first thing Mike noticed was how dark Kenny's messy blond hair was near the roots, getting progressively lighter toward the ends. At school, he had only seen a few strands of hair coming from under his hood, yet they glowed with the sunlight, making them appear to be lighter than they really were. Kenny's hair was also very messy, just the way Mike liked it.  
>Mike had seen Kenny's eyes several times, but never so clearly. They were as bright as the day sky on a warm summer day, and just as beautiful. They had little lightning patterns that made Mike enjoy them even more. Mike didn't have any time to notice anything else, as Kenny realized that he was staring at him.<p>

"What?"  
>"N-Nothing!" Mike nervously replied. "I-I mean... We both seem to have an affinity for messy hair."<br>"Really?"  
>"Yeah... Can't you tell?" Mike asked as he pointed at his head.<br>"The rain kinda straightened your hair. Taking off your shirt just made it worse. I can't tell what your hair looked like before."  
>"O-Oh, right! The rain!" Mike said as he laughed nervously. "Well, give me a minute."<p>

Mike left for the bathroom, where he could look at himself in the mirror, and rearranged his hair the way he liked. Then, he returned to Kenny, who was placing his beer cans on the floor, to show him the result of his labor. Kenny stared at Mike's hair for a few seconds, before finally making his opinion heard.

"...Looks good."  
>"R-Really?"<br>"Yeah."

Mike smiled from hearing Kenny's opinion. However, after a few seconds, he remembered the whole reason he had invited Kenny home in the first place – to find out why he was sad, and perhaps establish a friendship with him – and his smile vanished.

"So... Can I ask you something?"  
>"Sure. Go ahead."<br>"Why were you crying?"  
>"Not that..."<br>"Look, I know-"  
>"No, you <strong>don't<strong> know." Kenny said in an angry tone. "We just met like fifteen minutes ago. Don't act like you know me."  
>"Well... I kinda know about you from all the stories everyone at school talks about. I... I kind of look up to you." Mike sheepishly confessed as he blushed.<p>

Kenny's anger dropped at the prospect of someone looking up to him. Kenny had always done the right thing when it really mattered, yet nobody remembered those events, since they usually ended with his death. Having someone who looked up to him – not because of his heroic acts – but because of the way he normally was, put a smile on his face.

"D-Do you really mean that?"  
>"Yeah!" Mike replied, his confidence now being restored. "I think you're awesome!"<p>

Kenny's smile widened from hearing Mike's compliments. Mike smiled back at him, and the rain slowly stopped. Kenny looked out the window and put his soaked parka back on, before picking up his beer cans.

"I... I gotta go now." Kenny said.  
>"Already?" Mike asked, disappointed by Kenny's need to leave.<br>"Yeah... My mom is probably worried about me."  
>"OK... I'll see you tomorrow?"<br>"Sure, Mike."

Kenny headed for Mike's bedroom door and opened it slightly, before turning around to face his new friend.

"I... I really liked hanging out with you, even if it was for a short time. Let's do it again some time."  
>"I liked hanging out with you too, Kenny."<p>

Kenny smiled at Mike one last time before leaving the latter's room. He walked past Mike's mother, who was in the living room watching TV, and said goodbye to her. As soon as Kenny was out the front door, Mike lied down in his bed, daydreaming about him.

"_Kenny..._"

* * *

><p>The following morning, Mike got up slightly earlier than usual, then stayed in bed for a long time, before finally getting up and preparing for school. It was the only way he knew of to be able to get ready in time for school. If he tried to simply get up without having been awake for at least an hour, it wouldn't work.<p>

* * *

><p>Later that day, Mike arrived in school and immediately started looking for Kenny. When he couldn't find him, he approached the few friends he had made during his time at the school and started chatting with them, albeit still thinking about Kenny.<p>

* * *

><p>The bell rang, and still no sign of Kenny. Mike was starting to think that he had said something that made Kenny stay away from him.<p>

"_Did I do something to make him upset? He seemed happy enough when he left..._"

Mike's mind was put at ease when he spotted Kenny, running into the school yard.

"_I guess he just overslept..._"

Mike took his usual seat in the front row, right in the middle of the room. Although he wore contact lenses, it was still somewhat tough to see from the final row after about an hour, and the centered position made it easier to see both sides of the board. After much consideration, instead of taking his seat beside Kyle, as he normally did, Kenny sat down next to Mike, much to Kyle's disappointment.

"_Why is Kenny sitting down next to the new guy?_" Kyle thought. "_We've been friends for years..._"

Mike smiled at Kenny, although he didn't notice it. However, Kyle saw the whole thing and became angry at Mike.

"_Who the fuck does this guy think he is? He doesn't even know Kenny!_"

Kyle had known for a long time that he was gay. Moreover, he knew that he liked Kenny. Seeing someone who, as far as Kyle knew, didn't know anything about Kenny, trying to get closer to him was infuriating. In Kyle's mind, Kenny was his, and nobody else's. He tolerated Stan and Cartman's friendships with Kenny, because he was certain they wouldn't try to take Kenny away from him. However, Mike was a new player, and a wild card – Kyle didn't know what to expect from him.

* * *

><p>The recess bell rang a few hours later. Mike approached the few friends he had at his new school, but, after several minutes, he felt someone grab his hand and pull him away. It was Kenny.<p>

"I want you to meet my friends." Kenny said "We've known each other since we were little kids. They're my best friends... Well, except Cartman. He's the fat one. He's not easy to handle."

Mike enjoyed the feeling of having his hand held by Kenny, even if it was entirely platonic.

"_His skin is so soft..._" Mike thought.

Kenny and Mike reached Kyle, Stan and Cartman in a few seconds. Cartman wasted no time in mocking the newcomer and Kenny – the latter for holding Mike's hand, and the former for having his hand held – but Kenny simply told him to ignore it. Cartman's mocking brought unnecessary attention to their hand-holding, which only served to make Kyle even angrier at Mike. However, he showed no outward signs of anger, as he was attempting to stay calm.

"Mike, this is Kyle, Stan, and Cartman. Everyone, this is Mike."  
>"Hey." the three boys said in unison.<br>"Hey, guys." Mike replied.  
>"So, how did you two meet?" Kyle asked, intent on knowing the story behind why Kenny seemed to like Mike so much.<p>

Kenny and Mike looked at each other and shared knowing looks, adding to Kyle's anger and mistrust of Mike. After receiving unspoken confirmation from Kenny, Mike decided to tell them how they met. Most of it, anyway. He knew Kenny probably didn't want his friends to hear about how he was crying, drunk, and half-naked in Mike's bedroom.

"Well, I was walking home last night, after getting some groceries for my mom, and I bumped into Kenny on the way. It was raining pretty hard, so I invited him back to my place."  
>"So you just invited a complete stranger into your home?" Kyle asked.<br>"Well, I kinda heard about Kenny from some of my friends, and I remembered seeing him walking around here."

Although Mike was able to answer his question, Kyle was still unsure of whether he could trust him or not. Before Kyle was able to formulate another question, the bell rang, and the boys started making their way toward their classrooms.

"_I'll be keeping a close eye on you, Mike..._" Kyle thought.


	2. Chapter 2

School ended, and the students left. Kyle had been watching Mike all throughout the day, yet he didn't find anything suspicious. The only actions he thought were suspicious were Kenny's. He seemed so happy around Mike that it was making Kyle jealous.

"_Why can't Kenny be that way around **me**?_" Kyle thought. "_I'm just as good as the new kid... What the hell happened when they met?_"

The weather had cleared up from all the rain the previous night, so the sun was shining brightly, lighting up the entire town of South Park. Mike planned on going home alone, as usual, but Kenny approached him just as he was about to make his way back home.

"Mike, me and my friends are going to the arcade later today. Wanna come with us?"

Being an introvert, Mike's first instinct was to decline Kenny's offer. However, Kenny looked so excited and happy that Mike simply didn't have the heart to turn him down. He agreed, albeit hesitantly.

"S-Sure."  
>"Great! Meet us there at eight."<br>"Alright."

Kenny smiled at Mike, sparking a deep feeling of anger and resentment from Kyle.

"_Fucking Mike..._"

* * *

><p>Once Mike reached his home, he went straight into his bedroom, where he waited patiently for his mother while playing games on his computer. When she arrived, he immediately asked her if he could go with his new friends to hang out.<p>

"Of course, Michael! You don't even have to ask. Just come home in one piece."  
>"Uh... Sure, mom."<p>

Mike's mom had always been somewhat exaggerated, but he was used to it, so he could almost completely ignore it.

"I'll be upstairs in my room, OK?"  
>"Sure."<p>

Mike headed back into his room, to resume his gaming.

* * *

><p>Later that night, just as he had told Kenny, Mike headed to the arcade. He was a little unsure of where exactly it was, so he had to ask someone for directions. The first person he found was Butters.<p>

"_Just how many blonds with blue eyes does this town have, anyway?_"

"H-Hey." Mike said.

Butters turned his head to meet his much taller acquaintance, and only one thought coursed through his mind.

"_Fuck, you're tall._"

"Hey."  
>"Um, sorry to bother you, but... do you know where the arcade is?"<br>"Yeah. Go that way for about three blocks, turn left, and it should be right in front of you."  
>"Thanks."<p>

"_I can't believe I'm actually going just for that Kenny guy..._"

* * *

><p>Mike walked for several minutes, wondering if Butters' directions were correct for most of the time, until he finally reached the arcade. He saw that Kenny, Kyle and Stan were already inside, waiting for him, so he went in himself. Upon entering, his eyes were immediately drawn to the bowling lanes on his left. He looked to the far wall and saw some other games, such as shooters and racing games.<br>Kenny greeted Mike warmly, as he would any of his friends, whereas Stan seemed a little more distant. Kyle barely acknowledged Mike's presence, simply grunting at him when spoken to.

"_What's his problem?_" Mike thought.

"Hey, what happened to Cartman?" Mike asked.  
>"He didn't want to come. Something about cake or whatever." Kenny replied.<br>"So, are we gonna play some games, or what?"  
>"Well, I dunno about you, but I'm starving." Stan said. "Do you guys mind if we eat something first?"<br>"Not at all."  
>"Nope."<br>"Fine by me."  
>"Great! Let's go then!"<p>

The boys decided to go to a nearby burger joint. Stan and Kyle ordered two regular cheeseburgers each and some french fries, Kenny ordered three double cheeseburgers and some fries, as usual, and Mike ordered six regular cheeseburgers, some fries, and toast. Everyone was surprised that such a slim kid had ordered so much. Kyle was certain that Mike wouldn't be able to eat everything, and smirked.

"_He's just trying to look tough, or whatever..._" Kyle thought. "_There's no way in hell he can eat all that._"

* * *

><p>Several minutes later, Mike finished his meal. All the other boys looked at each other and Mike wide-eyed, completely amazed that he had actually managed to eat everything he had ordered. Kenny was the first to ask the question on all of their minds.<p>

"Dude, how the fuck did you eat so much?"  
>"I was hungry. I usually eat less than I did today."<br>"Still, that was impressive!" Kenny said.  
>"Yeah." Stan added. "Kenny's usually the one to eat more than everyone else. Sounds like you two have a lot in common."<p>

Kyle's anger flared up at Stan's final statement. Mike could feel Kyle's eyes digging holes in his own, but he completely ignored it.

* * *

><p>The first thing the boys did, once they finished their meals, was bowl. Mike hadn't bowled since before he moved to South Park, so he was somewhat excited to do so.<br>The boys split into two groups: one composed of Mike and Kenny, much to Kyle's anger, and another composed of Kyle and Stan. The groups then decided who who would go first.

"Flip a coin?"  
>"Sure; that works."<p>

After flipping the coin, it was decided that Kyle and Stan would go first. Mike and Kenny sat down to watch them play, but instead talked to each other.

"So, have you ever bowled before?" Kenny asked.  
>"A few times with some of my friends in the town I come from, but that was a long time ago."<br>"Where **do** you come from?"  
>"I... I'd rather not say."<br>"OK..." Kenny said, disappointed by Mike's answer. "Well, how good are you at bowling?"  
>"I honestly can't remember. That's how long it's been since I last played it."<br>"Hey, you two done yet?" Stan asked. "It's your turn."  
>"Yeah." Kenny replied. "We're done."<p>

Mike and Kenny walked over to the lane. Kenny picked up a bowling ball, stuck his fingers in its holes and gave it a shot. He managed to knock over six pins, earning a few whispers from Kyle and Stan and a smile from Mike.

"You're doing great." Mike said.  
>"Thanks." Kenny replied.<p>

Kenny picked up a bowling ball and repeated the same process, managing to knock down three of the four remaining pins. Kenny was somewhat disappointed he hadn't managed to knock down all the pins, but Mike reassured him he was doing great.

"Now it's my turn." Mike whispered with confidence.

Mike picked up another bowling ball and threw it. He only managed to knock down four pins, greatly diminishing his confidence.

"_I really suck at this._" Mike thought. "_I should've tried something else first. Maybe a shooter, or-_"

"Mike!" Kyle yelled. "Hurry the fuck up!"  
>"S-Sorry!"<p>

"_Alright. Here it goes._"

Mike picked up the bowling ball and threw it as best as he could. He managed to knock down all six remaining pins, much to his and everyone else's amazement. Mike turned around to gauge his friends' reactions, and smiled. Kyle was as upset as ever, but Kenny and Stan shared an amazed look.

"Pure luck." Mike said after a few seconds. "I doubt this will happen again."  
>"That was cool." Kenny replied.<br>"Yeah." Stan added. "That was the best attempt so far."  
>"I'm sure one of you guys can top that." Mike said. "It's just the beginning."<br>"Good point."  
>"It's your turn now, guys."<p>

Stan patted Kyle's back and the green-eyed boy rose, leaving room for Mike and Kenny to sit down.  
>Stan had been noticing Kyle's reactions and decided to approach him about it while the other two boys talked.<p>

"So, Kyle, why do you hate the new guy?"  
>"I don't hate him..."<br>"You sure don't like him either. I've seen the way you stare at him."

Kyle picked up a ball and tossed it, but he was so distracted that he only managed to knock down two pins. However, only Stan noticed it, as the other two boys were busy talking to each other.

"It's just... You know I like Kenny. We've been friends for years, but this new guy – Mike – comes along, and suddenly he's all best friends with Kenny." Kyle explained, grimacing at the sound of Mike's name.  
>"Kyle... If you want Kenny, all you have to do is tell him."<br>"It doesn't work like that."

Kyle glanced at Mike and Kenny, who didn't notice Kyle's hesitation.

"I know Kenny only thinks of me as a friend."

Kyle picked up a second ball and tossed it. This time, he missed all the pins. Stan was hesitant to mention Mike or Kenny any further, lest Kyle turn his anger toward him next.

"...Just drop it." Kyle finally said. "Throw some balls before they notice our delay."

* * *

><p>The bowling game ended with Mike and Kenny winning by a wide margin, thanks mainly to Kyle's anger. Rather than start a new round, the boys decided to move to the arcade games.<p>

"What should we play next?"  
>"What about a racing game?" Stan suggested.<br>"I... I really suck at those." Mike confessed. "I used to lose all the time, even when playing on the lowest difficulty... Can't we just play something else?"

Kyle smiled briefly at Mike's statement and lied to him and his own friends.

"I really want to try the racing games, though." Kyle said. "If you don't want to, you can just watch us."  
>"Sure!" Mike said. "That works."<p>

Kenny, Kyle and Stan took their places, with Mike watching from Kenny's screen.

"Good luck." Mike whispered.  
>"Thanks." Kenny replied.<p>

Everyone inserted their coins into the appropriate slots and the game started. Mike stood, watching his new friends race against each other for several minutes, until, finally, one of them won. It was a close call, with Kyle winning by less than half a second. Stan came right after him, and Kenny ended up in last place.

"I lost..." Kenny complained.  
>"It's OK, Kenny." Mike replied. "If I was playing, I would've been the one to lose."<p>

* * *

><p>After a few more minutes of comments on the race, the boys moved on to the shooters' area. As the shooters only allowed for a maximum of two players, they had to split up. Kenny went with Mike's random choice, but Kyle and Stan, having been to the arcade before, picked their favorite game.<p>

* * *

><p>The boys played their chosen games for several minutes, then switched to a different game once they were done with their previous one. The cycle continued for three different games, until Kyle and Stan got a call from their respective parents to return home.<p>

"Look, guys, we have to go now. Sorry." Stan said.  
>"Yeah. Our moms will be pissed if we're not home right away."<br>"That's OK." Mike replied.  
>"Yeah. It's fine."<p>

Kyle stared at Mike with hatred in his eyes, but suddenly turned to Kenny.

"I..."  
>"...What, Kyle?"<p>

"_I love you._" Kyle thought.

"...Nothing."

Kyle and Stan left the arcade, but, before they headed back home, Stan had a few questions for Kyle.

"Why didn't you tell him?" Stan asked.  
>"It wouldn't matter... It's clear Kenny likes Mike, for whatever reason."<br>"They're just friends. Trust me."  
>"Right..."<br>"Look, I really have to go now. We'll talk about this tomorrow, alright?"  
>"Sure..."<p>

Stan shook Kyle's hand and left for his home. Kyle stared one last time into the arcade before leaving and saw Mike and Kenny talking, adding to his anger and feelings of hopelessness.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, inside the arcade, Mike and Kenny were trying to decide what to do.<p>

"Do you have to leave, Kenny?"  
>"Nope. My mom only gets worried when I stay out without telling her."<br>"Same here... Hey, wanna try bowling again? I can teach you a few things I remembered while bowling against Stan and Kyle."  
>"Sure!"<p>

Mike and Kenny headed back to the bowling lanes, where they prepared for a new game. Mike let Kenny go first, but he approached the blond boy and placed his right hand on Kenny's, to teach him how to bowl, while simultaneously placing his left on Kenny's left arm, to be able to gently push and pull him in the proper direction. Kenny smiled as the warmth of Mike's hands spread throughout his body.

"_How are you so warm?_"

"See, some people aim for the front pin, but that's not right. You should aim right... here."  
>"Here? You sure?"<br>"I'm sure. Trust me."  
>"OK... I trust you."<p>

Mike moved away to let Kenny throw the ball. He threw the ball as best as he could in the direction Mike had indicated, and managed to knock down eight pins in one move.

"That's great, Kenny! Try again."

Kenny threw two more bowling balls. One to finish off the pins that were still standing and reset the lane, and a second one to give it another try to Mike's method. This time, he managed to bowl a strike.

"Great!"  
>"It's all you, Mike. I never would have figured it out without your help."<br>"Well, I wouldn't say that..." Mike replied as he blushed.

Kenny laughed at his blushing friend and handed Mike a ball. The boys played for as long as they could, and when they were done, Kenny pointed toward the shooter games.

"Wanna play some shooters again?"  
>"Yeah! They're my favorite."<p>

The boys headed for the shooters' area and picked the one they liked best, based on their previous experience with the rest of their friends. When they arrived, they realized they had a slight problem.

"We only have enough money left for one of us... You should go, Mike. You're better at it than I am. I'll just stand back and watch."  
>"Tell you what, we'll take turns. You can play for one level, I'll play for the next level, and so on."<br>"You sure?"  
>"Yeah! Just don't lose, alright?" Mike said as he smiled.<br>"...Alright."

Kenny picked up the gun that served as the controller while Mike inserted a coin into the appropriate slot.

"Kick its ass, Kenny."

Kenny smiled at his friend's remark and aimed the controller at the screen. After several shots, the first level was over. Kenny had taken a few hits, but, now, it was Mike's turn. Kenny eagerly put the controller in Mike's hands and stepped back, to watch his friend play.

"Watch and learn, Kenny."

Kenny did as Mike asked and saw his friend shooting down several enemies without stopping. He looked so focused that Kenny was somewhat afraid of interrupting him. After a few minutes, it was over. Mike immediately lowered the controller and signaled for Kenny to get closer.

"Your turn."  
>"How did you do that?"<br>"It's easy, if you've had enough practice. Come here; I'll teach you."

Kenny approached Mike, who handed the controller to him and placed his hands on Kenny's.

"See, you have to be quick. You have to focus. You can't let the enemies take a single shot. If they do, you need to get behind cover. If you can't do that, you're pretty much done in the later levels."  
>"Show me."<br>"Alright. Get ready."

Mike raised Kenny's arms and aimed the controller at the screen. An enemy popped up on the left after a while, from behind some bushes.

"See that guy over there?"  
>"Y-"<p>

Mike quickly aimed the controller at the enemy and pulled the trigger, taking Kenny by surprise.

"You're really quick, Mike!"  
>"Yeah. I'll tell you why later. Right now you should focus on the screen."<br>"Alright."

"_With you by my side, I know I can't lose._"

A second enemy popped up from behind a drum on the upper right corner, which Kenny quickly took care of. At that point, and much to Kenny's disappointment, Mike let go of his hands, leaving Kenny on his own. Kenny missed the feeling of Mike's soft, warm hands, so he decided to try something to get that feeling back.

"Don't just leave me hanging here! We were doing great together!"  
>"You can do it without me. Don't worry."<p>

"_That's not what I meant..._" Kenny thought.

Kenny became too distracted by his own thoughts and ended up taking several hits, ending the game.

"Dammit!" Kenny yelled. "I'm sorry, Mike..."  
>"It's just a game, Kenny. Don't worry about it."<br>"Yeah, but you spent your money on it... I feel bad."  
>"It's fine."<p>

Kenny honestly believed Mike was upset, so he decided to try to make it up to him, as well as advance his own cause.

"Tell you what: come over to my place tomorrow. We can play some of **my** games, and... maybe... you can... you know, have dinner there?" Kenny hesitantly asked.  
>"Um... Sure. I'll ask my mom when I get home."<br>"G-Great!"  
>"Well, we should go home now. We've run out of money."<br>"Yeah... Hey, how **did** you get so good at shooters?" Kenny asked as the boys left the arcade.  
>"Well, I played a lot with my friends before I moved here, and I've always had better reflexes than the average person... I used to play a game with some of my friends where we had these cards with symbols on them and this small wooden totem – I guess you'd call it that – and when specific cards popped up, we'd need to grab the totem. I used to win all the time because I was just too quick for them."<br>"Hey, can I ask you something personal?"  
>"...Sure, Kenny."<br>"Why did you move here?"  
>"I... I can't tell you. I mean, I <strong>can<strong>, in the sense that I'm physically capable, but I won't."  
>"Why not?"<br>"Why won't you tell my why you were crying when we met? Same reason."  
>"...Do you really want to know?"<br>"Yeah." Mike replied as he nodded slightly.  
>"Fine... Let's just go somewhere private. I don't want other people to hear about this."<br>"Let's go to my place. My mom probably fell asleep already."  
>"OK."<p>

* * *

><p>Once Mike and Kenny arrived at Mike's home and entered his room, Kenny sighed wearily. He was beginning to regret his decision to tell Mike his secret. Kenny didn't know if it was just idle curiosity or actual concern, but he knew Mike would never let it go now.<br>Mike and Kenny stood in Mike's room for quite a while before Kenny finally decided to reveal his secret.

"I... When we met, I was crying because... I wanted to kill myself."  
>"What?! Why?"<br>"It doesn't matter... I changed my mind."

"_Did **I** do that?_" Mike wondered.

"Your turn. Why did you move here, and where did you come from?"  
>"I'm from Europe, and that's all you'll get regarding that part of my life."<br>"Why did you move here then? Europe's supposed to be nice."  
>"Officially... my mom and I moved here because we just couldn't go on where we came from. Money troubles and such."<br>"And the truth?"  
>"...You're gonna think it's stupid."<br>"No."  
>"I... met this girl. She came to my school shortly after one of my best female friends left, and another friend of mine and I took her in, to replace what we had lost."<p>

"_Kinda selfish, but OK..._" Kenny thought.

"What then?"  
>"I fell in love."<br>"I'm guessing it wasn't mutual."  
>"Not at first... At least that's what I think. Anyway, we started dating. Everything was going fine, until, one day, she just... stopped coming home with me."<br>"What happened?"  
>"I don't know... I think it was her mother. I tried addressing her directly, but she never said anything."<br>"Why do you think it was her mother?"  
>"One time – more than one time, actually – her mother called her while we were together. She was angry, and I think it scared her. One time she just hugged me for a long time, not wanting to leave. She only left my side that time when one of my neighbors came to see why the elevator had stopped. He was really pissed."<br>"So you moved away because of it?"  
>"Not right away. Moving away because of that is just silly. I tried getting over it, but I couldn't. I kept dreaming about her, thinking about her, and so on. It hurt – <strong>physically<strong> hurt – to not be with her. I thought I would go crazy... maybe I did. Then... my mom wanted to move here. It seemed like a good way to get away from everything, so I did."  
>"Did it work?"<br>"It was hard at first, but it seems to be working now. No more dreams, no more feeling sorry for myself, no more of any of that crap. Just the uncertain future, and what I intend to make of it."  
>"And what <strong>do<strong> you want to make of it?"

Mike remained silent for a while, prompting Kenny to drop the issue.

"...I understand how you feel, Mike. If I could, I'd probably move away too."  
>"Why? You have friends, family, a home..."<br>"And I'd leave all of that behind in a second if it meant I could go anywhere... I'm tired, Mike. Tired of this BS life, tired of my friends, tired of... feeling empty. Hopeless."  
>"Kenny... I'm not exactly the best person to cheer someone up. I always mess things up in one way or another. But... life <strong>does<strong>get better. Everything changes, and it's impossible to keep going downhill. Eventually, you'll need to go back up. It's the way everything works."

Kenny didn't believe his friend's words for a second. He stared at Mike for a couple of seconds, trying to find even the slightest hint of deception. There were none. After several more seconds of complete silence, Kenny spoke up.

"I... I should go."  
>"You sure?"<br>"Y-Yeah... I... We'll talk later. Send me a friend request on Facebook."  
>"I, uh... don't have an account."<br>"Seriously?"  
>"Yeah. Seems pretty useless."<br>"If you say so... Got a phone?"  
>"Sure."<p>

"_Well, at least there's that..._"

"Alright. Give me your number."

After a quick exchange, Kenny dialed Mike's number to give him his own. Mike's mom was in a deep sleep, snoring audibly, yet the boys still made as little noise as possible. Once they reached the door, Mike stopped Kenny from leaving.

"What?"  
>"Like I said, I'm not the best person to cheer someone up. My words never come out right. But I hope this will."<p>

Without warning, Mike wrapped his arms around Kenny, squeezing him tight. Kenny's eyes teared up instantly, and he slowly reciprocated. When Kenny felt his tears beginning to roll down his cheeks, he choked back a sob and wiped them away, before releasing his friend.

"...Thanks, Mike."  
>"Things always get better, Kenny. Trust me on that."<p>

"_Maybe they do..._" Kenny thought as he smiled at Mike.


End file.
